Seeking Benevolence
by cb142
Summary: Several months after the 4th war, Uchiha Sasuke finally returns home. However, all he could find were broken bonds, unwelcoming stares and avoidance. No matter how close he tries to get, people disperse. Life is simply meaningless. But upon his burdensome journey, he encounters a familiar face, Hyuuga Hinata. [Now cancelled :( Story will be deleted soon]
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This fanfic may contain spoilers in the latest chapters of Naruto!**

* * *

It has been quite a while since the forth war between the Allied Shinobi Forces and the Akatsuki has ended. Many people slowly tried adjusting their lives back to normal as Konoha is slowly being rebuilt by the damage the war caused. The war of bitterness has left countless of people injured, depressed and perished.

Why did innocent people have to suffer?

Why did that masked man, Tobi, along with Madara, even have to start this war?

Tobi…that name that sounded and looked so familiar. Many wouldn't want to believe that Tobi was Obito—the young wild Uchiha and a very close friend of Kakashi. No, it was just impossible. However, the truth smacked everyone across the face after the blond hero crushed open his mask. Just what made Obito go berserk? Was it because of that girl, Rin? Was it because of…love?

It didn't matter since they were destroying and killing many people. And finally…just finally…It was not long until Uzumaki Naruto—along with his friends and the one person who he invariably tried to save, Uchiha Sasuke—finally defeated the evil threats of the world.

Uchiha Sasuke. The man who was known as the avenger and a wanted rogue among the villagers of Konoha. For ten years, Naruto tried his best to knock some sense into Sasuke but the first few tries never really worked. Sasuke was blinded by the hatred; all he had in mind was avenging for his clan. But after he discovered the truth from his brother, Itachi, he slowly began to rethink things. Itachi wanted to protect Konoha; he wanted to spare his brother's innocent life. It was inevitable for him to choose such a dreadful path just to save what he wanted to save most.

Uchiha Itachi hoped that Naruto would help turn Sasuke's thoughts from destroying the village into saving the village. He hoped that Sasuke would find a way to rebuild the honors of being an Uchiha.

Sasuke slowly began to realize that everything he thought was just so wrong. It was not long after then, he mildly opened his heart and decided to save the village as he knew this whole war was caused by an Uchiha—someone part of his clan.

He decided to protect the village just like his brother wished.

He wanted to end this madness once and for all.

* * *

It was just a matter of time that Sasuke finally returned back to Konoha. However, going back wasn't easy for him. All the villagers' glares were sharp and endless; no matter where he went, nothing was more gentle than those glares. The Kages ordered the Anbu squad to follow Sasuke as if they were part of his shadows in both day-light and night-time. Was this better than being sentenced to life which the council members wished and hoped Sasuke would face? Yes, although, what he is facing right now is fairly equivalent to this thing called "confinement."

In the apartment building, Sasuke was on bed, staring at the ceiling. His half-alive eyes wandered around the room as he recalled the meeting he had with Tsunade and Naruto.

_"Granny-Tsunade…this is…?" Naruto held a consent-letter of the disapproval of Sasuke's life-imprisonment. Sasuke stood there, studying the paper._

_Tsunade sighed and crossed her arms. "It was very difficult for me to let them agree on that. However, after a long-running dispute, they finally eased down the punishment." Her eyes were slightly filled with disappointment yet full of relief. She then slowly drank her cup of tea as a reward to herself for accomplishing such a difficult task. _

_Sasuke was barely showing any contentedness or some sort of relief. But this was something really important to Naruto. Tears slowly filled his eyes though he tried not to make it apparent, especially not in front of Tsunade and Sasuke. But still, this was very good news since staying in prison for life is pretty much the end of life. There won't be freedom. Nothing. _

_"But…" Tsunade abruptly said as she placed her tea-cup on the desk. "This doesn't mean Sasuke can do whatever he wants. The other Kages has ordered the Anbu squad to keep an eye on every move Sasuke makes." _

_This wasn't something to be shocked about. "Yeah. We know that, " Naruto said, still content about all this. He knew that this was better than staying in jail for a lifetime. _

_"Hn," was all Sasuke could say, really. He still didn't have the heart to show any gratitude. This was simply what they want to do and he let them do whatever the hell they want. It didn't matter to him._

_Tsunade smiled and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. "Alright. With that being said, you both can leave now." _

And that was that. This was what made Sasuke come this far. Slowly after then, he recalled all the unpleasant glares many villagers gave him as he walked around with Konoha's hero, _his best friend_, Naruto. It didn't bother him. He didn't care. He knew this was the price he had to pay for avenging his clan, for hurting a lot of people…for killing. But still, all these glares and stares—whatever the heck they are—were seriously irksome.

* * *

When he was about to sleep, a loud knocking sound abruptly occurred at his door. "Oi Sasuke!" Naruto called out. Without saying a word back to him, Sasuke just lay there and closed his eyes, in attempt to falling asleep. He wanted peace and quiet but knowing that some dimwit is in front of his house just crushed that little wish he wanted.

"Sasuke… I know you're in there! Answer me!" Naruto's knock on the door grew louder and louder. "Oiii…"

Sasuke swiftly sat back up, irritated. "Shut up, you dimwit," he said as he slowly made his way to the door. When he opened it, he saw Naruto in his usual garment.

"Damn it, what the hell do you want?"

"Huh, what's this? Still sounding grouchy as always? If you keep doing that, I won't tell you what I was supposed to tell you."

"Tch," Sasuke jerked his head to the side as he glared at Naruto. "Fine, I get it. Anyway, what's your business here?"

Naruto smiled and placed his hands behind his head. "I don't know what's going on, really, but Granny-Tsunade said you should meet her tomorrow."

Sasuke looked at him confusedly. "What's this? Another punishment?" It kind of made sense for the Hokage to call him but it would normally be for the obvious reason: they have some sort of 'new punishment' for him. Well, that's what he thought at least.

"Who knows…" Naruto shrugged as he was unsure of why Tsunade called him as well. "Anyway, don't be late. Be there around 10:00am sharp!" He ran and jumped from roof to roof and was soon out of sight.

Sasuke stood there for a moment. But shortly after, he closed the door behind him and went back to bed. He rested his arm on his forehead as deep thoughts of what could possibly happen tomorrow occurred to him. A sigh escaped him and he shifted his body so that he was lying on his side. His eyes stared at the empty wall and soon, his eyelids felt heavier and heavier. He finally went to sleep.

* * *

A couple of hours passed and morning finally came. Sasuke stood in front of his door and was already in his garment for the day. He wore a black robe along with hakama pants. Underneath his sleeves, a vambrace is worn to conceal and protect his arms. On his legs, he wore greaves that allow to ease movement as he walked or fight whenever he had a chance to. And down his feet, he wore usual ninja sandals. The Uchiha emblem was placed in front of his robe, near his heart. This was his new look; a look that's completely the opposite of what he looked like back then.

Sasuke stared at his door absentmindedly. He thought of what to expect today. Tsunade called him but…why? Still, asking questions to himself won't get him anywhere. "How annoying," he muttered as he locked his apartment door and started heading off to the Hokage's office.

And…just as usual, nothing pleasant happens when he is seen in public. Everyone glared and whispered among each other as Sasuke made his way to the Hokage's office. Yeah, sure, he didn't mind it but, hell, it was so galling. All these eyes just won't leave him be. The Anbu squad just had to make things worse by adding more "eyes" to watch his every move. This then triggered something. Was this what Naruto experienced during those times when they were just kids? Probably not as bad as this. But still, dealing with this at such a young age must be one hell of a journey.

After walking through what felt like perdition, Sasuke finally arrived at Tsunade's office. He stared at his hand as he casually knocked at the door.

"Enter!" Tsunade demanded. Sasuke walked in and stared at her with a rather…aloof expression. "You called?"

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh nervously. She wafted her hands as she tried to ease up the sour atmosphere. "Geez, Sasuke…if you keep that expression on your face, you won't be able to adjust your life easily."

A sarcastic laugh escaped Sasuke's lips. Suddenly, his dark black eyes shot an intense glare right at her. "Life was never easy." Tsunade felt her whole body flinch but it was swift and faint. Her eyes glared right back at him and said, "Sasuke, I know what you're experiencing is difficult but please try to lighten yourself up a bit."

"Whatever." He sighed ruggedly. "So? What do you want?"

Tsunade crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair. "This might be unexpected but…" she paused and thought deeply about this uncertain quest she had for Sasuke.

"Nghh…" she grunted as she scratched her head in frustration. "I have a mission for you," she fought her breath. She knew Sasuke had no interest in helping Konoha whatsoever. Not right now.

Silence followed up after that moment. They both stared at each other, waiting for a response from whoever. Sasuke's expression may seem vacant but he still showed a faint sign of bewilderment. Tsunade caught a glimpse of that but she didn't bother breaking the silence by pointing it out. As a matter of fact, it will just annoy Sasuke which will cause him to leave this room. They both also knew that having Sasuke fight alongside with Konoha was the last thing the villagers wanted but still…that didn't stop Tsunade from assigning him a mission.

"And what kind of mission should I be expecting?"

"Something that will help the villagers of Konoha accept you."

Sasuke scoffed. "Ridiculous." His eyes bitterly stared at her. This was just outrageous. _Having Konoha accept him? Just how long will that take? Probably never. _Without saying another word, he turned his back against her. "Thank you for considering such a useless and time-wasting meeting. For your information, I've got better things to do."

Tsunade looked at him, dumbfounded. "Better things to do? Like what?"

That question struck Sasuke. There was nothing left for him to do really. All he had been doing these past few months was sleep, eat and hang around Naruto and Sakura whenever they came by. Really. That was it. How were those things better than the mission Tsunade was about to assign for him?

Tsunade gazed at the back of his head, expecting him to face her once again, however, he still didn't. She sighed in disbelief and continued talking to him. "In any case, I think this is a really good opportunity for you improve your reputation and to find your meaning of life."

Sasuke was reticent about this. This, perhaps, was better than having his life repeat the same cycle of boring events over and over again. He didn't want to admit that this 'mission thing' somewhat interested him.

"And—" A sudden knock on the door interrupted Tsunade.

"_Finally,_" she thought as the other person she was waiting for arrived at last. "Come in."

The door slowly creaked open and at the corner of Sasuke's eye, he saw a girl with dark, long blue hair enter the room. She was wearing what a regular Jounin would wear. She seemed familiar but Sasuke struggled to remember her name.

"Tsu—Tsunade-sama…did you need something?" the young lady asked anxiously.

"Yeah," Tsunade smiled as she answered her. She then hesitantly turned back to look at Sasuke. "And the person who will be your partner for this mission is…" she paused for a second but soon said, "Hyuuga Hinata."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I'm trying to keep all characters IN character so the story may be slow because of character development. Reviews would be much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_Hyuuga Hinata?_"

Right after the moment Tsunade introduced Hinata to Sasuke, an unpleasant atmosphere conquered the room. This agitated the Hokage abundantly, forcing her to think that this team arrangement was probably a mistake.

As for Hinata, she was totally oblivious that this man standing right in front of her was the last Uchiha. Only then, did her eyes widened in surprise.

"_S-Sasuke-kun…?_" Hinata anxiously thought to herself as her eyes gazed at him. "_Sasuke-kun i-is the person I'm on duty with?_"

Sasuke on the other hand could not believe this. This young lady will be his partner? Please, anyone but a feeble teammate would be good. Disappointed, he stood still as his vacant eyes studied her posture; her behavior, hoping that something would satisfy him working with her. However, it was just as he thought, she seemed too delicate to be a useful teammate.

As they briefly observed each other, they suddenly caught each other's glances, causing Hinata to look away. Though, Sasuke still stared at her. He knew she was surprised and somewhat uncomfortable with the idea that she was working with him.

Everyone would think that.

The fact that these two never interacted with each other just made things more difficult to handle. How are they going to communicate? Sure, they might have seen each other for a brief moment but that was that. Sasuke only knew her as a Hyuuga and a weird girl who awkwardly follows Naruto around; Hinata only knew Sasuke as Naruto's important friend.

Tsunade rubbed her forehead anxiously. Maybe this was a bad idea after all but Hinata possessed the Hyuuga eyes which can be very helpful in this mission. As for Sasuke, this was something Tsunade planned for him to earn a good reputation.

"Hey, Hokage…" Sasuke abruptly said, breaking the silence. "Care to explain why I should be working with her?"

Everyone in the room flinched.

Shizune clutched her hand into a fist as she was getting tired of having to listen or see Tsunade deal with Sasuke's arrogance. "Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed but Tsunade stopped her by lifting her hand up.

"It was all by chance…that's it," Tsunade answered.

Sasuke couldn't help but glare at her while Hinata stood there, anxiously. This was difficult. But Tsunade brushed off Sasuke's stubbornness and turned her head to face Shizune. Their eyes met and Tsunade made a quick hand-gesture, hinting her attendant to get the Scroll of Essence. This scroll was fairly large and similar to the Scroll of Seals that was kept away by the first Hokage. The fifth Hokage stood up and handed the Scroll to Hinata. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Tsunade-sama…isn't t-this the…" Hinata began her sentence.

"Yes, this is the Scroll of Essence," Tsunade announced. "A very important Scroll that should never be opened during this mission," she said. "A lot of ninjas will try stealing this scroll at all cost since it contains an unknown jutsu. But with a Hyuuga in this team, it should be easy to track those ninjas before they even attack. Therefore, Hinata, you will be helpful in this mission. As for Sasuke," Tsunade turned her head to him. "You are one of the strongest ninja out today. So I trust that you will deliver this important scroll to the Sand Village safely."

When Sasuke heard the word 'important', he scoffed. "And…you're letting the ninja who betrayed the village do this mission?" he said in disbelief.

"Yes, this is a perfect chance for you to make up what you did," she said as she walked back to her desk and took a seat. "This is important, Sasuke," she propped her chin on her hands. "I'm willing to risk my reputation as a Hokage to trust you, the traitor," she stared at him fiercely.

The room fell silent but was soon broken by the laughter of Tsunade. "This is what Naruto would do anyway, right?" she said with great delight.

This annoyed Sasuke. He found it way too ironic. Trust the traitor?

By his side, Hinata stood there with the scroll on her hands. Her eyes were glued onto the scroll but she was full of thoughts about the consequences and difficulties she will be encountering when working with Sasuke. But when Naruto's goofy grin flashed before her, she smiled.

"_I'll definitely bring Sasuke back."_

_"Sasuke is our important friend!"_

_"How can I be Hokage when I can't even save a friend?"_

Hinata recalled those moments when Naruto kept declaring that he will save Sasuke. And finally, through determination, dedication and support from friends, Naruto finally brought Sasuke home.

After that long thought, Hinata grasped the scroll tighter and slowly walked up to Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke-kun…I also," Hinata abruptly said, gazing into his eyes. "I will also trust you, Sasuke-kun," she said firmly.

Sasuke was stunned by this but he tried keeping his composure. Seriously, how can they just trust people like that? It even annoyed him more considering the fact that Hinata just met him. How can she say something like that so easily?

Hinata walked towards Tsunade's table and said, "Tsunade-sama, is that all you wanted to say?"

Tsunade smiled and replied, "Yeah, but be careful you two."

The shy yet mildly confident smile occurred on Hinata's face. "Yes!" she replied as she walked out of the door.

Sasuke didn't stir and just stood there, staring at the ground. He was pretty reluctant about this mission. However, when he thought about the idea of going back home to sleep again, it annoyed him how that was the only thing he did the past few days. A deep breath of exasperation escaped him and soon, he followed Hinata out.

"Sasuke!" Tsunade abruptly called out his name. Sasuke stopped but didn't bother looking at her.

"Hang in there," Tsunade then said, smiling.

Sasuke then looked at her at the corner of his eye but disregarded her statement. He walked out and closed the door behind him.

"_Geez, that kid…" _Tsunade thought to herself, "…_is really stubborn." _

Her hands fiddled around her cup as she thought about Hinata. Her face then steamed and small sweat drops formed. She bit her lip.

_"Hinata," _she muttered anxiously, _"do your best."_

* * *

Several hours passed and it was already late evening. Hinata waited for Sasuke at the entrance of Konoha, slightly worried he won't come since he gave her an impression that he was never interested in this mission, or, about her being in this team. The moment she thought about this, the shoes scuffing the floor unexpectedly occurred, breaking her from her thoughts. When she lifted her head up to look at who it was, she finally saw Sasuke walking towards her.

"Sasuke-kun," she called out nervously, quite relieved he came after all.

Though the time he appeared in front of her, she felt the aura around her drop dead. It wasn't only because of the mean and expressionless Uchiha, but because of the villagers' glares and whispers.

_"Why is Sasuke going out there? Especially with Hyuuga Hinata?"_

_"Isn't that the Scroll of Essence? Why do they have such an important scroll with them?"_

_"I can't believe Hokage-sama actually made this traitor do a mission. How can she trust him? Is she an idiot?"_

_"Don't tell me the heiress of the Hyuuga clan is also betraying the village..."_

Hinata's eyes widened as she heard them talk. It was loud enough for both her and Sasuke to hear. Saddened by this, Hinata slowly perceived Sasuke's reaction. He didn't seemed bothered by this. He was just walking towards her, showing no emotion; almost as if he was used to this. But to Hinata, this was a dreadful sight.

"If you want to quit the mission, go ahead. It's not like I want to do this anyway," Sasuke abruptly said, assuming she wanted to quit this mission.

Hinata flinched at his sudden spoken words. "It's not that I want to quit... Sasuke-kun, I—"

Sasuke stopped immediately, standing still at her side. "I don't need your pity," he said as he glared at her at the corner of his eye.

Hinata winced and stared at him in a painful expression, feeling aggrieved by the way the villagers were treating Sasuke. "S-Sasuke-kun..." she muttered. However, before she could say anything more to him, he jumped into the forest, leaving her behind. Hinata held her hand close to her chest as she clutched onto her jounin jacket. This was really what she disliked most yet she knew it was inevitable for something like this to happen to Sasuke. She hated seeing someone she knew—especially a very important friend of Naruto—looked down upon.

As she stepped out of the village, she turned back to perceive the villagers. They were angry yet worried. It was something inevitable for them to express hatred too. Hinata breathed deeply as a way for her to prepare herself for the mission. She jumped into the forest and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

* * *

**Hello guys! Chapter 2 is finally out. ****The introductory chapters are over! It's finally time for action-ish. LOL.** I know it's quite boring but things will get better from here (I hope.) Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As the lazy sun settled below the rocky mountains, night finally came.

Hinata and Sasuke kept jumping from tree to tree, already in the process of their mission heading towards the Sand Village. They barely interacted prior to this mission but Hinata knew this would happen, therefore, she had to conduct herself. It was fortunate how they haven't encountered any ninjas who would be after this scroll. Good. That meant there will be no problems on their first day. She was still slightly worried about the lack of teamwork though.

Sasuke was already far away from Hinata, almost as far as leaving her behind. He didn't care about her and he wouldn't, really. They were practically strangers. They never had a word to each other, not even during the time when they were kids.

When he noticed that Hinata was out of his sight, he stopped for a moment just for her to catch up, though, she didn't appear.

_"Are you serious?_" he thought to himself. _"Just how slow can she get?_"

A few minutes passed, yet, there were still no signs on her arrival. A little troubled by this, Sasuke turned back to see where she has gone.

On his way back, he saw a tent assembled and was ready to use. "What the hell?" he thought to himself. "Who is camping there? I didn't see that when I passed here."

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Hinata called out as loud as she can in her soft-voice, waving at him nearby the tent. Sasuke heaved a heavily sigh as he made his way down to her. His rough landing staggered Hinata. It was obvious Sasuke didn't like what was going on.

"What the hell are you doing?" His tone of voice sounded irritated.

"I-I'm sorry. I tried calling you but you never answered me so I thought that maybe I should prepare this tent," she nervously explained to him. "And since it's dark, I think it's better we take a rest and restore our energy for t-tomorrow," she then said as she looked up at the sky. Seeing Hinata stare up at the sky made Sasuke look up as well. They both stood there, staring at the night sky.

A bleak wind blew strong, forcing the trees to rustle and the leaves to dance. The spontaneous sound of nature conquered the quiet area; something which they haven't heard in a very long time. It was pleasant to their taste, leaving them silent to enjoy this moment.

Hinata held her hands behind her. "I…" she broke the silence. "I also…knew you would come back when I wasn't present in your sight," she smiled, still having her gaze focused up at the sky.

Sasuke just stood there with a morose expression. "I wouldn't bet my life on it."

Hinata didn't say a word after and just stood there, smiling at him pleasantly. This somewhat chafed Sasuke but he didn't bother turning this into an argument. Though, he was definitely not fond about the idea of them resting right now. _She was already taking a break?_ If they just kept moving on, they'll arrive at the Sound Village in no time and they will be done with their mission.

"There's no need for breaks. I just want to get this mission over with. Let's get going," he said in an attempt to leave but Hinata unexpectedly grabbed him by the shirt.

"I-if we sleep early tonight, we can go early tomorrow. We really need enough rest to be able to f-fight those who will be attacking us tomorrow," she fought her fear as she held to him. She knew this was best for the team therefore she tried her best to act as a leader.

Sasuke glared at her. He didn't want to waste time 'sleeping.' Really, that was the last thing he wanted. Hell, they just started this mission a couple of hours ago.

"Seriously," he muttered as he shoved his arm away from her grip. "We have no time to waste on sleeping."

"We're not wasting time," she said. "D-don't worry. I promise you we will continue early tomorrow morning."

Sasuke sneered at her but his intense expression was soon broken by a sigh. He reluctantly went inside the tent and dropped his bag on the ground for his head to rest on. Hinata followed him inside as she made her way to her bag to unpack the food and her sleeping bag. It was silent inside the tent but this was expected. Hinata understood Sasuke was someone who hated rowdy people therefore she stayed to her true quiet-self.

Sasuke gazed up at the tent, quite annoyed how things didn't go the way he wanted it to. Honestly, he would just leave her behind to die if he has to but something in him just can't do it right away. Was it because he knew the ANBU was keeping an eye on him? No, that can't be. They would only make a move unless Sasuke acted suspiciously, as in trying to take someone else's life. However, he never planned on killing her. It definitely wasn't because he cared about her being either, no. It was probably because he wondered what she meant before. He closed his eyes as he recalled Hinata's keen statement in the Hokage's office. _I will also trust you, Sasuke-kun._ That…that was what caught his attention. That was what made him slightly, just slightly, interested in this girl.

_Will she really trust this traitor?_

He knew that if other females were to be in the same team as him, they would be all over him, yelling out his name irritably. Perhaps they won't do the same in his current state but, that was how it has always been ever since he encountered females. If other males were to be in the same team, they would shoot death glares at him, complaining non-stop and asking why they should be working with him. However, with Hinata, he was the one questioning why he should work with her. She showed slight fear and nervousness rather than infatuation or confidence which all the females he met displayed before. Hinata was definitely different from everyone else.

Sasuke fixed his gaze upon Hinata as she was preparing food. This girl changed quite drastically. As far as he could remember, she was very timid and wouldn't be able to say anything unless people gave her 'plenty' of time to speak. As for her physical features, it was a drastic change as well—her body has matured and her hair was rather...longer.

"You…" Sasuke abruptly said.

Hinata staggered as she heard him. She then turned to face him. "Y-yes? Did you want something?" she questioned, nervously.

Sasuke paused for a second and this time, he studied her face and her eyes. "You grew your hair…" he said, uncharacteristically.

Hinata froze in surprise but, her face expression soon softened. Her white lavender eyes were stuck on Sasuke, wondering why he suddenly stated that.

Sasuke stared back. "What?" he inquired in his usual tone of voice.

"E-eh? Ah, it's n-nothing," Hinata awkwardly replied as she held a bundle of hair on her fingertips. "I didn't think you would notice…"

He sighed. "Everyone would notice," he shifted his body to his side, turning away from her.

When Hinata saw his back facing her, she couldn't help but remember the way everyone treated Sasuke. His back was emitting a need of comfort, she could tell somehow, but she couldn't do anything for him. The dark cloud around his heart won't ever fade unless someone completely understood his pain. She knew she lacked that and the only person who truly understood him was Naruto. Sasuke was nothing but vile, and she still didn't hold a grudge against him. She knew Sasuke had his family was massacred and honestly, that was more than enough to understand why he went to seek for revenge.

Hinata stood up with a hand full of food. "A-aren't you going to eat?"

A long waited silence followed up after and she took the hint that Sasuke didn't want to answer her. Slowly and carefully, trying to avoid as much noise as she can, she exited the tent. Sasuke's eyes followed her as she left but soon closed them in attempt to sleep.

* * *

"EHHH?!" Naruto exclaimed as he heard the news from Tsunade. "Y-y-you teamed Sasuke and Hinata t-together?!" he kept stuttering, unable to believe what he just heard.

Sakura stood next to Naruto, shocked by this as well. "Tsunade-sama, why didn't you ask us to accompany him in this mission? We are his former teammates," she stated.

Tsunade slammed her hand on the table. "I know that!" she yelled, slightly irritated. "But we need you Sakura, a medic-ninja, to help heal the people who suffered from the war. And NARUTO!" she yelled even louder, causing Naruto to flinch. "You need to rest. You've done more than enough for us."

Naruto scratched his head and answered, "I've had plenty of rest already." He then paused, thinking. He couldn't shake off this question that was bothering him. "Why did you choose Hinata of all people?"

Tsunade stared at him and plopped herself on her chair. "When I thought about this mission, the first thing that I thought about was the eyes Hinata possessed. Then I realized, Hinata is most appropriate girl for this mission," she paused. "She's strong, quiet, patient and understanding," she then shot a glare right back into Naruto's eyes, "Isn't that so?"

Naruto jerked in realization. She did have a point.

"B-but…I can't help myself worrying about those two. Sasuke isn't mentally stable yet," he frowned, simply worried. He then turned and walked towards the door. "Granny-Tsunade, maybe I should really go with th—"

"Naruto," Tsunade cut him off. "I know what you're thinking right now but from what I saw today, Hinata seems to be completely aware of what she's getting herself into. She _isn't_ the same_ Hinata_ you _used_ to know." Her eyes stared at Naruto. "Let's trust them for now. That's the least we can do."

All Naruto could do was stare at his hand that was so close to opening the door knob. Maybe she was right. Sasuke needed some time to himself and the person who he can _tolerate_ right now was _probably_, Hinata.

_Hinata._

His mind recalled the event during the time she confessed her love to him after the moment he thought about her name. He noticed it. Hinata did really change. She matured so much throughout these years and was able to express her love to someone who didn't really notice her until that moment. He was fighting Pein when that happened, but she still went out there to protect him. It has been a long time since then and he didn't say anything. He can't. He didn't know what to say. He still doesn't know what to say.

Sakura studied Naruto as she thought back during that time she tried killing Sasuke. Ever since that day, she knew her existence was only displeasing him. They do hangout together from time to time, but something was off; the atmosphere always seemed heavy.

"Naruto," Sakura muttered his name. "I guess we'll just have to trust them, just like Tsunade-sama said," she fought her breath. She didn't want to admit that being around Sasuke was rather intimidating for her. This would definitely be worse for Hinata, but since Tsunade has teamed them up, she decided to trust them.

Naruto grunted. He clutched his hand into a fist, trying his best to listen to what they were saying but he still couldn't shake this eerie feeling. "Sakura-chan...Granny-Tsunade," he paused as loosened his hand, lowering it to his side. Slowly then, he recalled Sasuke's menacing expression ever since he made it back to Konoha. "I know what you're trying to say but..." Naruto grit his teeth, looked up at the door and slammed it open. "I gotta go after them just in case!"

"NARUT—" Before Sakura could even yell out his name, he was already gone. As anxiety overwhelmed her, she turned to perceive Tsunade's reaction to this.

The fifth Hokage heaved a deep and disappointed sigh. "Let him be," she said. "I would like you to go after him but I really need you to help the patients in the hospital."

Sakura's pink-coloured-eyebrows furrowed. "Yes," she said as she anxiously looked throughout the opened door.

* * *

"Hmm…" Hinata hummed as she stared at the logs she collected around the forest. "I've collected them b-but they're useless without fire…" Her head tilted to the side as she thought of possible ways to light them in fire. She then stared at the tent, wondering whether she should ask Sasuke to use his fire-style technique but she knew he wanted all the time he can get to himself, so she decided to leave him be.

"Ah!" A sudden idea occurred to her. "Maybe I can do that hand drill…"

She created a tinder nest on top of the log. "A-alright," she said to herself as she took a spindle and placed it on the bark. She then positioned the spindle between her hands and started spinning it. After hours of attempting this tiring task, she sighed in disappointment.

"T-this is too hard…" she muttered. "B-but…I must try again." She took the spindle once again, however, by the time she placed it on the bark she heard a scuffing noise.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu," Sasuke unexpectedly appeared, performing his fire-style technique. A remote amount of fire gushed out of Sasuke's lips, startling Hinata as wind blew across her face.

"I can't sleep with all that noise," he snarled. His menacing gesture frightened her a bit.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, embarrassed by the fact that the noise he mentioned about was her speaking to herself. Sasuke went back inside the tent to resume his attempt to sleep. Hinata just gazed at the food and the fire, thinking about what just happened.

* * *

The flames on the logs danced around, creating sounds of static, popping and crackling. Hinata stared at it absentmindedly, enjoying the warmth the fire was emitting. "So warm," she placed her hands in front of it, smiling. She prepared food for Sasuke a while ago and placed it next to her. Her gaze then focused on his food and started thinking if she should give it to him. But seeing Sasuke's menacing expression previously frightened her not to do so.

She breathed deeply as she picked up a stick next to her. Her thoughts were full of Sasuke and…Naruto. The moment she thought of Naruto's name, the confession flashed before her immediately. Her fingers played along with the sticks, unconsciously making her draw Naruto's face on the soil.

"Naruto-kun…" she muttered as she dropped the stick beside her complete drawing. She drew Naruto's signature grin. She breathed deeply and brought her her knees towards her chest, hugging it. She missed him, she really did. It has been a while since she confessed to him yet Naruto said nothing in return. This was something to be angry about, but Hinata was understanding. Besides, she already knew about his feelings.

Sasuke stared at her through the barely opened hole of the tent's entrance. His stomach growled boisterously, annoying him endlessly. He was hungry, oh so very hungry. Tossing his pride to the side, he decided to get up and exit the tent to eat whatever Hinata had left. Though when he exited, the girl sitting across from him didn't stir despite the fact he made it evident he was going out. He walked a couple of steps behind her and saw a drawing of Naruto's face.

"You drew that dimwit," his rough voice abruptly escaped him, breaking Hinata from her thoughts. She flinched and backed away from him. "I-I'm sorry!" she apologized in reflex, and tint of red flushed her cheeks.

Sasuke didn't say anything, he just stared at her. But after a while he asked, "Why are you apologizing?"

Hinata peeked through her right eye and positioned herself demurely."I-I'm s-sor—"

She was cut off when she felt Sasuke glaring at her. "I-it's nothing," she answered, hoping he wouldn't get too angry about this.

Sasuke disregarded her statement and sat down. "I need food," he said, expecting her to have already prepared something.

"Eh?" Hinata stared at him dumbfoundedly, causing silence to follow up. Sasuke glared back at her. "Didn't you hear me? I need something to eat."

"Y-yes," Hinata flinched. "Of course, I have it right h-here..." she said as she carefully grabbed the lunch she prepared for him. Sasuke took it from her and didn't hesitate to take a bite, slow bites.

As he was eating, silence occurred once again. Hinata couldn't help but study him, which caused the man who's eating to feel slightly uncomfortable. He abruptly stopped feeding himself and just held the lunch box on his hands. "You should sleep," he demanded, not looking at her as he was focusing on his food.

Hinata widened her eyes and swiftly turned her head away from him the minute he talked. She just realized she was staring at him but that was because she didn't expect him to ask for food. "Y-yeah," she answered him as she stood up, walking towards the tent. "G-good night."

The young Uchiha disregarded her statement and just continued eating his food. His eyes absently gazed at the fire as he was eating. His night went on like this for a brief moment.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Gahhh~ I'm sorry. I know I said this many times, but looks like the story is going to be a tad bit slow since I'm writing this where all characters in character. ; 3; So bare with moi? Anyway, I wasn't really going to let Naruto chase them, but we all know how Naruto is... he won't listen to anyone when he's worried XD_

_So there you have it guys! :) Thanks to those who reviewed! You guys are motivating me to write more~ And just wondering, is this chapter a bit too long? If so, should I just keep them short like the first two chaps?_


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